


Lost and Found

by greeneyes_softsighs



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cute, Elf!Makoto, Fluff, Gen, Prince!Sousuke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-05 22:14:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5392265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeneyes_softsighs/pseuds/greeneyes_softsighs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto is sent to gather mushrooms in the woods behind his house, but finds something else much more interesting.  Soumako.</p><p>Just thinking about a self-indulgent fantasy AU with Sousuke and Makoto.  I really want more elf Makoto with pointy ears and healing powers.  Pinkstarpirate is helping me flesh out a longer fanfic for later...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost and Found

Makoto left Haru at the river and wandered farther into the forest behind his family’s countryside home. He picked his way through the underbrush, careful not to tear his soft, new leggings on the brambles that sprouted wildly amidst the roots of the trees. He clasped the woven handle of his collecting basket tightly while climbing over thick, fallen trunks of old trees. He crawled under winding archways of ancient roots overgrown with ivy and lichen, always making sure to brush the loamy earth from his knees.

Without Haru there, Makoto jumped at every unknown sound that creaked and skittered through the leaves. He hugged the basket closer to his chest as the canopy overhead choked the sun’s light, throwing most of the deep forest into early twilight.

“If there’s anyone there, I’m just Makoto…” he said quietly, glancing around through the tree trunks into the darkness. “...I came to get mushrooms for my mama.” He crouched by a ring of button mushrooms gathered at the base of a big oak and picked them slowly. His long, elven ears twitched in surprise with every noise, alert to any danger. With a hard swallow, Makoto silently wished Haru were there with him.

It wasn’t very long until his fears came true.

A very obvious, very loud crash of leaves and branches forced Makoto up with a soft peep of distress. He pressed close to the trunk of the oak overlooking his mushroom hunting and whispered a soft ’Sorry’ to the button mushrooms accidentally trampled under his soft, elven boots in his fear. The crashing stopped for a moment, but not for long. A frustrated yelp and angry grumbling followed. Makoto’s imagination ran wild as he hid behind the trunk of the tree, trembling fearfully. He closed his eyes, hoping beyond hope that it wasn’t an angry rockpenguin about to eat him. Or a big peacockshark, with dripping fangs oozing yellow paralyzing poison.

“Why is it that this whole bloody forest looks the same!!” Someone shouted from the other side of the oak tree. Makoto peeked open one eye, then blinked both as the voice continued lamenting. Ah, it was a human boy! “I swear I have been this way before… ugh…” the owner of the voice sniffed pitifully.

Acutely aware and empathetic to the other’s distress, Makoto leaned ever so slightly to look around the trunk of the oak. A dark-haired boy, who was probably about his age and height, stood in a small clearing kicking at leaves amidst the saplings. He would walk one way, then change his mind and turn suddenly, only to be confronted with more confusion. Makoto realized that the boy was lost. After another tantrum of leaf kicking, the boy sat on a stump and covered his face with his hands in defeat.

Makoto felt his frustration keenly and pressed a hand against the ache of it in his chest. He could definitely help the boy find his way home, because -- despite his fear of the dark and the ferocious creatures that lurked within it -- Makoto had lived and played and learnt these woods as well as any of the other forest elves in his family and tribe.

With his basket of mushrooms in hand, Makoto quietly picked his way over to the boy’s side. He reached out and gently placed a hand on the other’s fur-clad shoulder. “It’s okay…” he tried to say… but never had the chance. The lost boy shrieked and jumped off the stump, only to fall flat onto his bottom in the leaves. He kicked back, scurrying away, staring up at Makoto with angry tears in his eyes.

“Wh-who are you? Where did you come from?” The boy shouted, fumbling at something looped to his leather belt. Makoto’s heart pounded against his chest in fear and excitement and he fled back a few feet, crouching behind the tree stump with his basket clutched close.

“I-I’m just Makoto! My mama sent me to find mushrooms, and…” Makoto yelled back, fear evident in his voice. When he glanced back over the stump, he was met with the very sharp and pointy end of a dagger. “E-eep!! Please, don’t hurt me!”

“I won’t hurt you as long as you tell me where I am!” The boy growled, and Makoto sniffled, holding back fearful tears as confusion slowly passed over his features. He was going to do that anyway. The boy didn’t need to threaten him with something sharp! Humans were so weird… very violent, just like Haru’s grandmother often told of in her stories.

“Y-you’re in the woods behind my house,” Makoto said in a small voice.

“Speak up and face me, forest spirit!!” The boy ordered. Makoto quivered, now more confused than ever. Did he really need to shout so much? Besides, Makoto was most definitely not a forest spirit. Those things were rude and annoying. Despite the weakness in his knees, Makoto slowly stood with his basket. He made sure to keep it between himself and the human, using it as a shield in case that dagger was intended for anything more than just a threat.

“I’m not a forest spirit,” Makoto whined softly, pouting. He frowned at the boy in confusion. “I’m an elf."

“Oh… what? You’re lying! Don’t try and trick me,” the boy looked lost for a moment, lowering his weapon a bit, then just very angry. The dagger in his hand trembled a bit as he held it between them once more.

“I’m not tricking you. I really am an elf,” Makoto said desperately. “Please, I’ll show you out of the woods. You don’t need to have that out!”

“Then do something to prove it,” the human said, grasping the hilt of his dagger with two small, sweaty palms. “Do some magic, or… or I’ll slice you up.”

What! Makoto huffed, this guy was seriously starting to get on his nerves. Humans were so ignorant, really! Elves didn’t have magic like that -- especially not forest elves. Haru might have been able to conjure something good enough to trick the human, but not Makoto. More annoyed than worried about getting sliced up, Makoto put the basket down finally and held out his hands.

“I-I can’t do magic,” he said quietly, looking down. “But… I can do one thing…” Makoto closed his eyes and clenched his fists at his sides, concentrating very hard on the one overt talent he had as an elf.

“What are you doing?” The human demanded in confusion.

“C-can’t you see?” Makoto asked with a soft gasp, breaking his concentration for a moment.

“See what?”

“I’m wiggling my ears!” Makoto said, inhaling deeply with a soft grunt of effort. His long, elven ears twitched up and down in a cute cat-like way for a moment. The boy slowly lowered his dagger with a dumbfounded expression. His frown broke into a giggle, followed by more and more until he was doubled over, holding his stomach as gales of laughter spilled out.

Makoto cracked one eye open, then both as he realized the human wasn’t paying attention anymore. He pouted and folded his arms, waiting until the other boy’s chuckles had subsided. The human wiped tears from his eyes and stood, just a bit red in the face from the exertion.

“I-Is that some kind of special feat only elves can perform?”

“It’s my talent,” Makoto huffed.

“It’s a good talent,” the boy said. Makoto blinked in surprise at the compliment, then smiled sheepishly, arms sliding down to his sides with some embarrassment. The tips of his ears lit up pink with a happy blush.

“Um, thank you,” Makoto said, unable to look the boy in the face now.

“I-I’m sorry I pointed a dagger at you,” the boy apologized, carefully pushing his knife into its sheath at his side. Makoto nodded, glancing up at the human with a soft smile.

“I’m sorry for sneaking up on you,” the elf said, picking up his basket again. Makoto walked over to the human hesitantly. “The forest can be scary sometimes.”

“I wasn’t scared!” The boy said, eyes wide as his expressive brows pulled down into a scowl. “I had everything under control.”

“Right…” Makoto giggled at the human’s attempt to save face. Okay, maybe humans weren’t as bad as Haru’s grandmother made them out to be. This one was okay, at least.

“My name is Makoto,” he introduced himself again. “I can help lead you out of the woods, if you like.”

“You can call me Pr — uh — actually, just call me Sousuke,” the human hesitated with another scowl, fiddling with the metal clasp to the bearskin cloak on his shoulders. “And I would be very grateful if you could help me out of these blasted woods. It all looks the same to me.”

Makoto laughed and held out his hand, waiting until Sousuke took it. The human looked down at his outstretched palm for a moment, then reached out slowly and folded their fingers together. A warm spark lit between their palms and traveled up their arms. Makoto blinked, looking into Sousuke’s teal eyes with surprise, met with the same expression. Neither mentioned the feeling as they walked through the wood, quietly chatting as Makoto tugged Sousuke over invisible paths and through walkways only forest elves could track.

Soon they were at the side of the crossroads. Down the road Sousuke pointed to a large caravan of horses, carts, soldiers and plain-clothed people all stopped and milling about, turning the dirt road to mud underfoot. “That’s my carriage,” Sousuke said, pointing out a huge, armored coach pulled by two teams of meaty draft horses. Archers sat atop it, and armored men drove the teams from the seat out front.

Makoto was happy to leave Sousuke there. All those humans looked much larger and scarier than his new friend. But Sousuke didn’t release his hand and simply pulled him over to the armored carriage. A tall woman dressed in plain but very finely made clothing stood in the mud, scowling into the forest.

“Mother!” Sousuke said happily. The woman turned to him and her expression immediately lifted and fell again with relief. She swooped down and gathered him into her arms, finally breaking the connection between Sousuke and Makoto’s entwined hands. Makoto stood back, glancing around at all the humans fearfully while his friend squirmed in his mother’s embrace.

“Oh, Sousuke! Don’t wander off like that ever again! What would the kingdom do without you? We sent out two search parties to bring you back… no one could find you!"

“Mother! Please, stop…” Sousuke complained, pulling away with a nervous glance at Makoto. He rubbed the back of his neck with an apologetic smirk at the elf. “Mother, this is Makoto. He’s a forest elf who helped me escape the woods.”

Makoto quailed under the severe look Sousuke’s mother used to appraise him. He trembled, again holding his basket — with the few mushrooms left inside — like a barrier. “Pleased to… make your… acquaintance?”

“Without Makoto, I would have likely died, Mother,” Sousuke added with a flourish.

“N-no! It’s not that bad of a forest,” Makoto demurred nervously. “I mean, it’s kind of dark, but there isn’t anything too bad in there.”

“Makoto, elf of the forest, you brought my dearest Sousuke back to me safely,” Sousuke’s mother said, her voice ringing loudly through the caravan. People and soldiers were beginning to gather around them, much to Makoto’s chagrin. He tried to put a smile on his face, mirroring Sousuke’s look of encouragement. “For your bravery, I have a gift. Please, wait here…"

Makoto blinked. Bravery? He felt anything BUT brave right now, under the scrutiny of dozens of scary, metal-encased humans carrying swords on almost every one of their belts. Even the horses were frightening, huge beasts with leather and ringlets of metal draped over their wide flanks. Makoto gulped and whimpered.

“Don’t worry,” a soft voice whispered beside him. He jumped as Sousuke gently wrapped his sweating fingers in his own hand and held it securely. “My mother looks scary, but she’s very kind.”

“Are all humans this scary looking?” Makoto whispered back, gazing into Sousuke’s teal eyes for some comfort. He trusted his new friend, but that didn’t lessen the feeling of uncertainty and unfamiliarity coiled in Makoto’s gut. Perhaps this is how Sousuke felt earlier, when he was lost in the forest?

“Maybe just the royal ones, I guess,” Sousuke giggled, squeezing Makoto’s fingers softly. They waited there, hand in hand, until Sousuke’s mother appeared from the carriage again. She draped a long, delicate silver chain over Makoto’s scruffy head and arranged it on his chest. A thin, metal medallion shone against his sternum.

“This is the crest of our family. If you are ever in need of help, do not hesitate to use it as a key… and our family will repay you the kindness spent today on my troublesome son!”

“M-Mother!” Sousuke howled again. As they bickered, Makoto stared down at the piece of jewelry. He was flushed down to his chest, smiling happily at such a beautiful gift. He would never forget this day…

“Thank you,” he said, breaking up the argument between mother and son with one soft whisper of gratitude. Sousuke smirked as Makoto looked over at him, beaming at the other boy with a grin as sweet as an angels. “Thank you! I won’t forget this…"

“We must continue our journey, but hopefully our paths will cross again, Makoto of the forest,” Sousuke’s mother said gently. The elf nodded hastily and tucked his gift into his shirt. The metal was cold, but quickly warmed against his chest. She curtsied slightly, then hefted herself up into the carriage. Around them, the humans were returning to their spots in the caravan. The horses whinnied and shook their heads in anticipation of movement. Sousuke turned to Makoto one last time.

“Thanks,” he said. “I hope I’ll see you again. Soon…"

“Me too,” Makoto replied. “Be safe, Sousuke. It was good to meet you.”

Sousuke, looking a bit flustered, hesitated before having to head back into the carriage. Makoto blinked, watching him make up his mind about something.

“Actually, I have something for you, too,” Sousuke muttered softly, leaning forward toward Makoto. The elf waited, unsure what the human was about to do. He gasped, eyes widening when Sousuke’s lips left a soft, wet peck on his cheek. The human jumped back a couple steps, staring at Makoto in alarm. The boys stood stock still for another moment, and then Sousuke turned away and scrambled up into the carriage without another word.

Makoto stood, mouth open a little, hand cupping his cheek where Sousuke’s sweet kiss cooled rapidly on his flushed skin. When he came back to his senses, most of the caravan had passed, and it was time for him to finally head home. 

—

Haru met Makoto at the edge of the wood by the river. He had a basket filled to bursting with fish. Makoto, on the other hand, had a handful of mushrooms scattered at the bottom of his basket. He blushed when Haru scolded him with a simple, silent look.

“What happened all day? Did you fall asleep under a tree again?”

“N-no… I…” Makoto looked down. “Y-yeah…” he lied, smiling bashfully as the memory of Sousuke’s hand in his surfaced. His secret memory, only for himself — at least for now. One day he would tell Haruka, but right now…

“Silly Makoto,” Haru huffed. “Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> If u want to discuss Soumako, or Makoto in general, drop me a line at my [tumblr](http://greeneyes-softsighs.tumblr.com).


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